Handhole closure assembly



1968 M. A. SCAGLIONE ETAL 3,

H-ANDHOLE CLOSURE AS SEMBLY Filed June 11, 1965 *2 Sheets-Sheet lINVENTORS MASCAGLION E C. R. BRIDEN BY I I [KW @QRNEY 1968 M. A.SCAGLIONE ETAL 3, ,95

HANDHOLE CLOSURE ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F I 3. 5

Filed June 11, 1965 N Wm w. vT N .NGI R E R O A VCB m5 T A A MC FlGp4United States Patent 3,364,952 1 HANDHOLE CLOSURE ASSEMBLY Mario A.Scaglione, Haslet, and Charles Richard Briden,

Middlesex, N.J., assignors to Pfoff and Kendall, Newark, N..I., acorporation of New Jersey Filed June 11, 1965, Ser. No. 463,103 8Claims. (Cl. 138-92) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLCSURE A hollow shaft having ahandhole through the wall is provided with a cover plate, the coverplate fitting flush with the outer wall of the shaft and held inposition by a V- or U-shaped strap within the shaft, the strap havingportions overlapping the edges of the opening and fastened to theclosure to prevent outward movement of the closure and of a size toengage the interior wall of the shaft opposite the plate when the plateis flush with the outer wall of the shaft.

This invention relates to apertured tubular shafts, and particularly(but without limitation to) such as are used for lighting purposes,provided with an aperture or handhole for access to the interior of thebase or lower portion thereof, for installation and servicing purposes.

It is conventional to provide such shafts with a cast frame welded tothe shaft around the aperture, with which frame a cover may be engagedby special securing means. This is a costly, complex, unsightly, anddifficult procedure.

Pursuant to the invention, a handhole closure assembly is provided forflush closing of the handhole aperture in the shaft, obviating thenecessity for fabricating special frames and obviating the necessity forwelding. The closure assembly of the invention may be readily secured toand removed from the shaft; when applied thereto, it provides aninexpensive, foolproof, effective flush closure for the shaft aperture,without parts extending from the shaft surface.

The drawings, illustrating procedures and devices useful in carrying outthe invention, and the description below, are exemplary only of theinvention, which shall be deemed to cover all other devices andprocedures coming within the scope and purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters indicate likeparts:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary elevational perspective view of the aperturedportion of a shaft, and exploded view of closure assembly partsembodying the invention,

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, vertical sectional view of the same portion ofthe shaft,

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view, partly sectional view of the closureassembly, with the closure plate shown secured to the bracket,

FIG. 4 is a partly fragmentary, vertical sectional view, of theapertured portion of the shaft and the closure assembly shown initiallyapplied thereto,

FIG. 5 is a similar view, showing the closure assembly finallypositioned in and closing the aperture of the shaft,

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary front elevational view thereof, taken at line6-6 of FIG. 5, and

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view, corresponding to FIG. 3, but of afurther form of the invention.

As shown in the drawings, the device of this invention is designed toprovide a flush closure for the handhole aperture 10 in the shaft 11 byan assembly including a bracket 12, preferably of V- or U-shaped outlineproportioned (FIG. 5) so that the free ends 13, 14 of the bracket arespaced apart a greater distance than the 3,364,952 Patented Jan. 23,1968 length of the aperture. Said free ends 13, 14 are preferablyprovided with inturned flat portions 15, 16.

A cover plate 25 is provided, proportioned to snugly fit into andprovide a flush closure for the shaft aperture 10 on assembly (FIG. 6)of the device of the invention in the shaft. To that end, complementarymeans are provided for securing the cover plate to the bracket as, forexample, by providing the bracket and cover plate with threaded portions26, 27 and bolt-passage portions 28, 29 (FIG. 1) for the bolt or othersecuring means 30, 31 and the depth of the bracket is such that theclosed end 17 of the bracket registers with the inner wall of the shaftwhen the cover plate is flush with the outer wall of the shaft, whilethe free ends of the bracket 13, 14 engage the inner wall of the shaftadjacent the aperture.

The handhold closure assembly of the invention (FIG. 3) is inserted intothe shaft aperture 10 and the assembly is canted forward and downward(FIG. 4) thus disposing the bracket 12 in the shaft, and pressure isapplied to point A of the cover plate (FIG. 4) until the bracket 12snaps into place (FIG. 5); the bolts 30, 31 are tightened to completethe assembly. The bracket may be of flexible spring or other material sothat it may be positioned in the shaft through the aperture and, asstated heretofore, the closed end 17 of the bracket registering (FIG. 5)with the inner wall 18 of the shaft remote from the aperture 10 and theflat portions 15, 16 of the bracket engaging the shaft marginally of theaperture 10 (FIG. 5).

The ends 15, 16 of the bracket 12, may be inturned as in FIG. 4 oroutturned as indicated 19, 20 in the bracket 12' (FIG. 7).

The assembly may be removed from the shaft aperture by loosening thebolts 30, 31 and removing the plate 25.

While the foregoing disclosure of exemplary embodiments is made inaccordance with the patent statutes, it is to be understood that theinvention is not limited thereto or thereby, the inventive scope beingdefined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A closure assembly for the substantially flush closing of thehandhole aperture of a tubular shaft comprising a bracket for insertionwithin the shaft free end portions on said bracket proportioned toextend along the inner wall of the shaft on insertion of the bracketinto the shaft through said aperture and another portion to engage theinner wall of said shaft opposite the aperture, a closure plateproportioned to be positioned within and to close the shaft aperture,and complementary means on the plateand bracket to secure the plate tothe bracket.

2. In a closure assembly as set forth in claim 1, said bracket being ofU-shaped outline.

3. In a closure assembly as set forth in claim 1, said bracket beingnormally of greater length lengthwise of the shaft than the shaftaperture, and being conditioned for such insertion therethrough by loosespacing between the closure plate and the free end portions of thebracket.

4. In a closure assembly as set forth in claim 1, said bracket being ofspring material and being compressible for snap insertion through theshaft aperture and expanding within the shaft for engagement of the endsof bracket interiorly marginally shaft apertured portion.

5. In a closure assembly as set forth in claim 1, threaded portions inthe bracket for reception of complementary bolt members positioned inthe plate to so secure the plate to the bracket.

6. In a closure assembly as set forth in claim 1, said bracket being aflat strip of spring material.

3,364,952 3 4 7. In a closure assembly as set forth in claim 1, saidReferences Cited bracket being a flat strip of spring material normallyof UNITED STATES PATENTS greater length than the aperture, andcompressible for insertion therethrough, with the closed end of thebracket 291,771 1884 Rflsgofshek positioned against the shaft remotefrom the aperture 5 546,555 9/1895 Randles 4-286 therein, and the freeends of the bracket engaging the 1,035,380 8/ 1912 Morris 174-66 X shaftmarginally interiorly of the aperture therein.

8. In a closure assembly as set forth in claim 1, a LAVERNE D GEIGER, Pi E a i closed portion on the bracket registering with the inner Wall ofthe shaft opposite the aperture and the closure 10 KILE, AssistantExamine" plate being flush with the outer wall of the shaft.

